The present invention relates to a method for removing adhering or dust-like deposits in an apparatus handling uranium hexafluoride by reconverting the deposits to UF.sub.6.
In systems for handling uranium hexafluoride, particularly in systems for U.sup.235 enrichment, costly operational malfunctions may be caused by certain deposits of uranium compounds. A method is disclosed in German Pat. No. 2,504,840 for the removal of such deposits by treating the parts of the system involved with iodine heptafluoride IF.sub.7 at temperatures of about 293.degree. K or more. This method can be used successfully if the deposits consist mainly of reduction products of UF.sub.6, such as UF.sub.5, U.sub.2 F.sub.9 or UF.sub.4. If oxygen containing uranium compounds such as uranyl fluoride UO.sub.2 F.sub.2 and its hydrates are present, however, removal of the deposits with IF.sub.7 will remain incomplete.
By treating the deposits with ClF.sub.3 it is possible to remove them completely. At temperatures in the range from 353.degree. to 363.degree. K, this removal occurs at a desirable speed and at 323.degree. K, the removal occurs only at a lesser speed. However, at lower temperatures there is danger that, in the presence of water containing uranyl fluoride, ClF.sub.3 will hydrolyze to form highly explosive ClO.sub.2.